To get good results from a translator, give them what they would otherwise have to guess: who will read the text, what it is for, which terms must not change, where it will appear, and who will review it. A brief of one page, plus reference files, usually beats a bare document attached to an email. Most translation problems start with missing context rather than weak language skills.
First, choose the right kind of professional
The American Translators Association’s client guidance puts it simply: “Translators do the writing. Interpreters do the talking.” If the translation is for an official purpose, you may need a certified translation, which the ATA describes as accompanied by a Certificate of Accuracy. Check requirements with the receiving authority, and seek professional advice for legal documents.
Also decide whether you need translation or adaptation. Localisation vs translation explains the difference, and the answer changes how much freedom you give the translator.
The translator brief checklist
The purpose and audience
- Who reads this? Customers, regulators, staff, investors. Age range, expertise and country or region of the readers.
- What should the reader do or feel afterwards? Buy, comply, understand, trust.
- Where will it appear? Website, app interface, packaging, video subtitles, printed brochure.
- Which variety of the language? For example, Simplified or Traditional Chinese, or the English of a specific country. Be explicit.
Tone and brand
- A short voice description with three or four adjectives, and one or two sample paragraphs you consider on-brand.
- Whether the translator may change idioms, slogans and humour, or must stay close to the source.
- Words the brand never uses.
Terminology
- Glossary: product names, feature names, legal terms and their approved translations.
- Do-not-translate list: brand names, trade marks, model numbers.
- Preferred units, currency and date formats.
Reference material
- Previous translations, approved style guides, a link to the live site, screenshots showing where strings appear, and for video, the script with timings.
- The source file in editable form, not only a PDF.
Practicalities
- Deadline, and the review window you will allow.
- File format required back, and whether layout work is needed.
- Who to ask questions, and how fast you will reply.
- Confidentiality terms. The ATA warns that content entered into free machine tools may be used to train the provider’s algorithms, so say whether the translator may use any machine translation or cloud tools, and under what data handling terms. See machine translation vs human translation for the risk framework.
A one-page brief template
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Project and source language | |
| Target language and variety | |
| Audience | |
| Purpose and call to action | |
| Channel and format | |
| Tone sample | |
| Glossary and do-not-translate list | attached |
| References and context | attached |
| Deadline and review date | |
| Questions contact |
Handling the process well
- Send the brief before the text, so the translator can raise questions early.
- Invite queries. A translator who asks about an ambiguous sentence is protecting you.
- Have a native reader in the target market review key pieces, ideally someone who was not involved in the translation.
- Feed corrections back into the glossary so the next project starts better.
- Plan website needs. If the text is going onto web pages, Google’s localised versions guidance covers how to indicate language versions with hreflang, and notes that Google does not use the HTML lang attribute to detect page language.
Common mistakes
- Sending text with no context for where it appears.
- Changing the source text after translation begins.
- Treating one reviewer’s taste as a quality standard without checking the glossary.
- Leaving out numbers, units or legal wording that need a specialist.
- Expecting marketing copy to be translated word for word. For campaigns, see adapting video campaigns for different markets.
If you are entering Chinese-speaking markets, launching a brand across English- and Chinese-speaking markets sets the wider context.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact works in English and Chinese, and its Global division offers localisation and adaptation. If you would like help structuring a brief or reviewing translated content, contact the team or see localisation.
Sources
- Client assistance: finding and working with translators, American Translators Association
- Machine Translation vs. Human Translation, American Translators Association
- Managing multi-regional and multilingual sites: localized versions, Google Search Central
